Tennessee news: Josh Heupel tabs 5-star freshman as winner of QB1 battle
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Tennessee football is looking to get back to the College Football Playoff in 2026, but priority one this offseason for the Vols was replacing star quarterback Joey Aguilar. Head coach Josh Heupel staged one of the most heated quarterback competitions in the country throughout spring ball and fall camp, and now the Vols have a winner.
True freshman Faizon Brandon is expected to be the Week 1 starter for Tennessee when the 20th-ranked Volunteers open their season on Sept. 5 against Furman in Knoxville, according to Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports.
Brandon beat out redshirt freshman George MacIntyre for the job in fall camp.
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The Greensboro, NC native was one of the top overall recruits in the class of 2026, so it doesn’t come as a major surprise to see Heupel take a gamble on his talent and his high ceiling to start the season. Brandon was the No. 3-ranked quarterback and the No. 10 overall prospect in the class of 2026 according to the 247 Sports composite. Only Houston’s Keisean Henderson and Vanderbilt’s Jared Curtis were ranked ahead of Brandon at the QB position.
Brandon will undoubtedly be tasked with carrying a heavy burden for a Tennessee offense that lost a lot of its production from a season ago, including star wide receiver Chris Brazzell II and running back Star Thomas. Returning tailback DeSean Bishop will do his best to take some of the load off of Brandon, but the 18-year old will have to get up to speed quickly in Heupel’s RPO-heavy offense.
Fans won’t have to wait long to see Brandon face his first big test in his college career. After the opener against Furman, Tennessee will head to Atlanta in Week 2 for a road tilt against a good Georgia Tech team in non-conference play. Two weeks later, the Vols host preseason No. 5 Texas in one of the marquee games on their SEC slate.
If Brandon plays up to his potential, Tennessee has the talent to be an SEC sleeper. If not, it’s going to be tough for Heupel and company to compete against a loaded schedule throughout the fall.
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